Free A Circle of Crows by Brynn Chapman Page A

rationalization.
    She was sure Morgana was alive, she couldn't explain it; but as long as she had that feeling, all was not lost.
    Her mother's voice, a welcome change from her Gran's, sounded in her head, God will not despise a spirit broken and crushed...
    Broken and crushed.... that about summed up the state where this family currently existed.
    Moira's voice interrupted, Couldn't hurt to throw some salt over your shoulder, though...
    "Oh for goodness sake! How did I turn out even remotely normal?” she said to the cat curled up at her side.
    She picked him up and placed him on top of her bed and crawled under the covers. This time, no meddling feminine voices plagued her and she slipped off into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter 17
    Rachael looked out the window of the Explorer as it wound its way out of town. The silence was deafening. What was there to say?
    Rae looked at her sister and was suddenly tired. Tired of being on an epinephrine high for so many days in a row, having to deal with so much anxiety, and of trying to be the voice of reason.
    The quarry came into view and Rae slowed the truck to a stop.
    "What exactly are we looking for?” asked Rachael, her tone of voice letting her sisters know she was looking for a fight.
    Bella slid out of the backseat and coolly replied, “Anything that might lead us to Morgana."
    Rachael's shoulders slumped and she began to walk down the slope into the rockpit.
    As she turned, Rae held up her pinky and Bella linked hers with it, “Good one, I'm ready to lash out myself."
    "An answer when mild, turns away rage...” she replied.
    "Very Anna MacBeth like answer."
    "I try.” Bella flashed a smile.
    They walked in silence through the quarry, each wandering off in different directions. Rae walked up on the sloping hillside; Bella went toward the water and Rachael took the opposite hillside headed south.
    Rae weaved in and out of the pine trees and her feet crunched on the coniferous needles.
    Gran Moira appeared in her head again, reciting another of her stories of childhood: When the children were disappearing before I was born, they used to threaten us that a huge black bird would come and carry us away if we were bad. Just as the little children before us were taken.
    "People are sick, telling a child that tale,” Rae spoke out loud, fully aware she was talking to herself more than ever lately. She racked her memory for more information from her childhood and remembered something else. Her gran had related that when she and Grandpa Ewan had returned to the inn, they were convinced it was haunted because the first week they were there, they heard all kinds of odd sounds at all hours. Then in the process of house cleaning prior to accepting guests, they entered the attic. Grandpa Ewan had related there had been scores of nests in the attic. Magpie nests with eggs still in them and birds still in the attic, explaining the noises at night. They had gone ballistic at the sight of her grandfather. Moira's voice blurted into her consciousness again, Mind the birds, poppet. Always mind the birds.
    "Rae! Where are you!” called Rachael, somewhere upwind from her.
    Rae turned to try and locate the sound of her twin's voice. She moved out of the forest and held up her hand to shield her eyes from the sun.
    She quickly blinked her eyes at what she thought must be a trick of the light, but upon opening them, it was still there.
    A flock of crows, flying in an odd pattern, hundreds of them, flew from the area where Rachael's voice had come from. They all changed directions back and forth so quickly, it was as if they had one mind.
    They all flew east as if they were fleeing some unseen foe.
    Rae ran down the hillside and proceeded to slip on the loose slag abundant in the quarry, succeeding in bloodying her hands as she attempted to catch herself.
    She could see Bella heading over the hill, running to the place where Rachael's voice had called from.
    The foreboding feeling appeared